It Could Be Worse
by ChelzToddBrooke
Summary: Dani and Nico are trapped in a tropical storm, shut out from the rest of the world. Story is better than the summary. :) Rated M for smut.


**A/N This is my first Necessary Roughness story. But let me tell you about this story since I am fascinated by my inspiration for this story. About a month and a half ago a hurricane/tropical storm rolled through New Orleans and while I do not live there myself, I have 4 people that I really care about that do and there was complete radio silence from them and that made me super uneasy. But somehow I turned that uneasiness into inspiration and I got to thinking about what a couple would do if they were trapped in a storm, shut off from the outside world. So keep in mind, this is simply about the situation, not the characters, that is why there is very little back story. It wasn't orginially Dani and Nico, but the male character I had written had this mysterious edge to him and I just thought it fit, plus converting it into fan fiction helps me get feedback!**

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Dani had no idea how she got here in the middle of a tropical storm, in the Hamptons, with Nico. Well, that wasn't true. A lot of things brought her here. Brought them here. Brought them together. Loss of love, loss of friends, professional upheaval, trust, friendship, and love. As for the Hamptons, it was supposed to be a weekend getaway. A chance to block out all the noise of the city and work. However, the tropical storm had other plans. They were advised to stay indoors until it passed and all roads were cleared.

The thought of him made her wonder where he was. It was very easy for him to make his movements go unnoticed. Even now, with him being a permanent fixture in her life and her having adapted to his habits, he could still sneak up on her at times and sneak away at others.

The house was silent save the rain slapping against the windows, so silent in fact it made her uneasy. She slowly moved from room to room, navigating carefully in the dim light. The power had been knocked out hours ago or was it days? They all blended together in the darkness. With the way the storm was going, it appeared power wouldn't be back anytime soon.

She found him in the living room. He stood in front of the large windows with his back to her and his hands shoved in his pockets, watching the violent weather. As she padded across the old wood floor she could see him better. He was wearing a threadbare gray t-shirt and khaki shorts. He was barefooted and only a glimpse of the dark scary man that normally lurked around the Hawks training facility. Dani thought the man slept in suits, if he slept at all, so once they got together, it surprised her to find out he not only did sleep, but he also had a whole line of casual clothing.

She came up behind him and let her hand trail across his back and catch on the inside of his left bicep. She hugged the arm to the body and rested her cheek against his shoulder.

"I feel trapped," she admitted, her voice sounding strange as it broke the eerie silence. He breathed a laugh and pulled his right hand out of his pocket and pressed it against the cool glass.

She almost snuck up on him. Almost. Had the house not been so quiet, she would have. He knew there was part of him the felt her before he heard her, but he was so distracted by the storm that the feeling was dismissed. It took him awhile to get used to having her around. He had to get used to dismissing the feeling of her presence in his personal space, knowing she was not a threat.

He was not surprised she felt trapped. Two days in the house and most of it without power was enough to drive anyone crazy. He really didn't mind it though, but he could lose himself in his mind much easier than she could. The isolation training he had in the Navy didn't hurt either.

"It's not so bad," he replied. She looked up at him. A flash of lightening lit up his hazel eyes and exposed the small smirk on his face. She sent an elbow into his side. He grunted and shifted his weight to compensate for the action. The movement shook his arm free from her grasp. He set a hand on her hip to push her between his body and the window. His larger frame crowded her. She gasped as her back hit the glass. His left hand came up and he traced a finger along her jawbone. He dipped his head like he was going to kiss her, but he pulled away at the last second. Her whimper of disappointment was drowned out by a loud crack of thunder. The dark house shook as veins of lightening fizzled across the sky. For a moment he was transfixed, his eyes caught over her shoulder. She took advantage of his distraction and allowed her eyes to roam what of his body she could see. They started at the easy rise and fall of his chest, up to the slow movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed and onto his face, his stubble dusted chin and intense eyes. She snaked her hand between them. She ran her knuckles across his chin, following the line into his hair where she threaded her fingers through the silky strands. Before her hand made it all the way to his shoulder, he pulled out of his trance and grabbed her wrist. He kissed her palm and dropped her arm to her side. He moved closer again, this time their hips connected as he bracketed her legs with his own. He cupped her face in his large hands and kissed her slowly. Her low moan granted him access as he deepened the kiss. Her right hand settled at his ribcage, fisting the soft fabric and pulling his weight more heavily against her. He stuck a hand out to catch himself against the glass as she tugged him off his center of gravity.

He broke the kiss and moved to whisper in her ear. "I told you, it's not so bad. You could be alone," he mentioned, his breaths heavy and his tone gravely. He pushed himself back upright. Even in the dark she could see the humor dancing in his eyes, she couldn't tell, however, if it was because he thought his last statement was clever of if he was up to something.

He padded into the kitchen, the sound of his footsteps changing as he hit the stone floor. He stopped at the double doors that opened up to the back deck. For a moment his hand hesitated on the door knob. She froze, holding her breath as she tried to figure out what he was going to do next. A chill rolled up her spine as she realized he was considering going out in the storm. There was a dangerous edge to him. While he was fiercely protective of everyone else, he liked to push the limits of his own safety. It appeared he was going to take that limit right out into a tropical storm.

"What are you…" she tried but he had already pulled the door open. The wind whipped through the house, howling and rustling everything in its path. While she was grateful for a break in the silence, her gut twisted as he stepped out into the rain.

He held is arms out to his sides and dropped his head back, taking everything in. He took a deep breath, letting the heavy wet air fill his lungs. The wind blew his hair and clothing in every direction and the rain soaked him to the bone. He let out a laugh as the water hit his face. She loved his laugh. It was warm, and honest, and came from somewhere deep inside him and wasn't heard often enough. Even now as he tested Mother Nature, his laugh calmed her, told her he knew he was in no real danger. She leaned against the door frame and watched him. The sky lit up with lightening and another round of thunder rumbled through and from the way he was standing, it looked like he was controlling it all.

He could feel the power of the storm swirling around him. He could feel her eyes on him, just like in the living room. She was anxious about the weather and the fact that he was now out in it wasn't helping. If he didn't think it was safe, he wouldn't be doing it, but he'd been watching the storm for the last hour. The violence had died down.

"You're crazy!" she shouted, wondering if he could even hear her over the storm. He brought his head back up and met her eyes, a lopsided grin covering his face."You're going to get yourself killed and then I will be alone," she added, only half joking. He took three steps in her direction and grabbed her wrist. She resisted, sitting into her heels as he tried to pull her outside with him. With a mischievous grin he lifted her into his arms. She yelped in surprise and tucked her head against his chest as the water pelted down on her. He put her back on her feet and looked up at the sky. There was a change in the wind and the rain had increased. "We shouldn't be out here," she breathed. "The advisories…" she trailed off. He laughed again and shook his head.

"The power has been out for almost two days, I haven't heard any advisories," he shrugged. She rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him. He grabbed her wrists and leaned in. "Trust me, I would never let anything happen to you," he whispered. He meant it too. He may take risks, but he wouldn't intentionally put her in danger. Ever.

She pulled back to see his face, the playfulness in his eyes was gone, replaced with sincerity and love. She lifted her arms around his neck and brought him to her for a kiss. He scooped her towards him, lifting her off the ground and bringing her legs around his waist. She pulled her hands back to thread through his hair as she bit his bottom lip and pulled away slowly. His eyes blinked open, water droplets stuck to his lashes and running off the tip of his nose. He a sexy smile crawled across his face as he captured her lips again. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip asking for access. She readily granted it as she released a low moan and twisted her fingers tighter into his hair. His breath hitched as he felt the pull. He bit into her lip eliciting the same response. He soothed the bite with his tongue and stole another soul searching kiss. The wind picked up, chilling their soaked bodies. She broke the kiss and untangled her fingers from his hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body closer to his, hoping for warmth. She buried her face against his neck, her warm breath ghosting against his skin. The boom of angry thunder and the sickening crack of a heavy branch brought them back to reality. She flinched in his arms and her head shot up, searching the back yard for the injured tree. She saw it off to the right, the branch leaning heavily towards the ground. One more gust of wind and it would snap off completely.

"It's time to go inside," she said quickly, fighting to get out of his hold. He released her and allowed her to pull him back towards the house. He knew she was scared and had humored him enough. He wouldn't fight her. He took one last look back as lightening lit up the yard and the branch finally gave way. He winced as her high pitched shriek hit his ears and she dragged him the rest of the away inside.

They both broke into laughter as they looked at each other, shivering, and dripping all over the kitchen floor.

"Towels," she decided. She spun on her heel towards the stairs, but her foot slid in the water. He reacted quickly and stuck out an arm to catch her.

"Careful," he chuckled. She righted herself and tried again.

As she walked away he pulled his shirt over his head. He didn't like the feeling of the now heavy, wet fabric sticking to his skin. He dropped the shirt to the ground and stepped up to the sink. He grabbed the small dish towel and vigorously rubbed across his hair to remove the access water. Once satisfied it would no longer drip down his back, he decided to follow her up the stairs. He wasn't quite done with what they started outside.

She careful moved across the bedroom, tripping over a shoe here and a pair of jeans there, things haphazardly discarded when they figured there would be light to guide them. She finally found the bathroom and nearly slipped again as her wet jeans caught under her heel. She managed to catch herself on the vanity. She blindly groped for the top drawer knowing there were candles and a lighter in there from when Nico drew her a warm bath the other night. Within moments the room was illuminated. She easily found the towels, tossing one on the floor to take back downstairs and wrapping another one around her body, basking in the sudden warmth it brought.

He stood at the doorway, knowing she had no idea he was there. She was too absorbed in drying off to notice. He stepped into the large bathroom and moved behind her. He pushed her wet ponytail to the side and pressed at hot openmouthed kiss to the base of her neck. He chuckled against her skin as he felt her jump.

"It's just me," he said softly, tugging the towel from her shoulders. She let him take it with a reluctant whine. She expected to feel a rush of cold air, but instead she felt the warmth of his body behind her. She turned to face him and was stilled by the sight of him. The low glow of the candles bounced off the planes of his broad chest and firm abdomen. She reached out to run her hand across his smooth skin and soft dusting of chest hair. She started at his sternum, moving upward across his chest, over his shoulder and around to the back of his neck. His hands dove into her wet hair and he crashed his lips into hers. When she gasped, he took full advantage and slipped his tongue into her mouth. She moaned slowly and let her body fall against his. He took one hand out of her hair and wrapped it around her waist to steady her as he walked her backwards towards the linen closet. He absently reached out and shut the door before pressing her against the solid surface. His hands went between them to grab the hem of her shirt. She moved so he could easily take the garment. No sooner than he discarded the shirt, did he reach around to unclasp her bra. He pulled back to look at the woman before him. Her eyes were heavy lidded and her chest was heaving. It was so erotic. His hands slid back up her sides, cupping a breast with each hand. He ran a thumb over one of her nipples and watched her eyes spark with arousal.

He pulled her roughly against him and sighed as her skin slid against his. He dipped his head to pull her ear lobe between his teeth. He traced the shell of her ear with his tongue before moving to kiss her neck. She released a throaty laugh as his stubble tickled her. He smiled against her skin and pulled away to meet her eyes. She smiled softly and gently patted his stomach as she pushed past him. He turned to watch her walk away. She stopped looked back at him over her shoulder, grinning mischievously. She stuck her hand out and fisted the waist band of his shorts, tugging him towards the bedroom. Two could play this game.

He awkwardly walked behind her as her fingers played at the hair below his navel. He nearly tripped over her as she stopped short at what he assumed was the edge of the bed. The room was so dark and the glow from the candles she lit was not helping any. Only the random flashes of lightening illuminated the room for quick fleeting moments.

She rolled onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. As she did so, her hand slipped down the front of his shorts and her fingers wrapped around him. His breath caught in his chest and his whole body twitched.

He swallowed thickly and slid his hand down her arm. He gently grasped her wrist, trying to free himself. If she kept going, this wasn't going to last very long. He carefully found her face with his other hand. If she wasn't so close to him, he would have never found her. The darkness was almost frustrating. He wanted to see her expressive eyes and beautiful body, but at the same time he didn't want to stop the moment to gather the candles from the bathroom. He felt her lean into his touch as his thumb ran over her cheekbone. He lured her into another kiss, causing her to release him. He slid his arms around her trim waist and slowly navigated the rest of the way to the bed.

As soon as her knees hit the mattress, she let herself gently fall backward onto the bed. He hovered over her. The lightening shot through the room again, catching on his now nearly black eyes. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him slowly. She felt his fingers working her fly and she lifted her hips, telling him to take the wet denim. Suddenly he broke away, disappearing into the darkness. It happened so fast, she wasn't really sure what had happened. She whined in disapproval. His disembodied laugh sent chills up her spine. So he wasn't far away.

He had stood up to remove his shorts and immediately registered the loss of contact. If her whine was any indication, she did too. Within moments he was back on top of her again, relishing in the feel of her warm skin so close to his. He gently nibbled on her ear lobe as his hands wandered down her naked upper body. She moaned and arched into his touch. He moved down her body, nibbling, caressing, kissing. He took one nipple into his hot mouth. She released a ragged breath and whimpered slightly. He continued his quest downward, finally pulling her underwear off. He dipped a finger inside of her, wishing he could watch her squirm as he gently caressed her. Only a moment later, he removed his finger from her wet heat retuned to kissing her. It wasn't much longer before he was inside of her, snug and warm. He groaned at the feeling.

"Jesus Dani,"he sighed, rocking his hips. She gasped as his hit just the right spot

"Feels so good," she explained. He smiled softly and left a kiss just below her ear.

"So good," he muttered in agreement. As he felt the tension building in the pit of his stomach, he pushed harder and finally let himself go with a primitive grunt.

She fisted the comforter, she was in heaven. Her heart was racing and her breath was ragged. She was coming hard and fast. Her eyes rolled backwards under her eye lids as her body shook. He smiled to himself as he felt her small body spasm against him again. He dropped a quick kiss on his lips before rolling onto his side and tucking her against him.

"Love you," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

"Love you too," she managed, still trying to catch her breath.

All she could think of when she woke up was that she was sticky. The cold she felt the night before had long disappeared and had been replaced with a thick, muggy heat. The kind of heat that came from a house being closed up for days with out any air conditioning. Her eyes blinked open slowly. She carefully pulled her head from his chest, her skin sticking as she did so. She was resting so comfortably in his arms that she hated to move. However, her curiosity was getting the best of her. Was the sun out? She hadn't seen the sun in days. She eased out of the bed, leaving him the blanket, but claiming the sheet for her own. For a moment she watched him sleep. His large form was stretched out across the bed, his hair, wavy from the rain, stuck out in all directions on his pillow. His face was relaxed and his now empty arms curled against his chest, she assumed to try and replace the feeling of emptiness after her body left his. She smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek before leaving the room.

He found her in the living room. She stood in front of the large windows with her back to him, wrapped in a bed sheet, staring out at the prodigal sun. As he padded across the old wood floor he heard the power click back on. He came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. She leaned back into his hold, letting her head fall against his chest.

"See, it wasn't so bad," he stated softly, his voice plagued with fatigue. She breathed a laugh.

"No, it could've been worse. I could've been alone," she admitted, tilting her head so she could look up at him. He smirked and captured her lips in a sweet kiss.

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**Sorry for any errors or out of characterness and I apologize for the lack of real plot. It was just something I had to get out.**


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